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Coificticiit  Apiciiltiral  Emeriiiifiit  Statloi, 


NEW    HAVEN,    CONN. 


BXJLLETIISr     ISTo.     IIO, 


DECEMBER.   1891, 


The  JBuUetins  of  this  Station,  issued  quarterly  or  oftener,  are 
mailed  free  to  every  citizen  of  Connecticut  who  applies  for  them 
and  to  others  as  far  as  the  limited  editions  permit. 

Applications  should  he  reneioed  annually  before  3Iarch  1st. 

Citizens  of  other  States  desiring  to  secure  the  bulletins  regu- 
larly are  referred  to  notice  on  next  page. 

The  matter  of  this  JBidletin,  that  has  any  pertnanent  value,  will 
he  carefully  revised  and  made  part  of  the  next  annual  Report  of 
the  Director  of  this  Station. 


CONTENTS. 

Notice  as  to  supply  of  Station  Reports, 

.    page    3 

Canada  Ashes,  Sampling  of            .            .            . 

"       2 

Analyses  of             .            .            . 

"       3 

Substitutes  for 

"       7 

A  Request  for  Samples  of  Indian  Corn, 

.        ''       8 

Correction,       .           .            .            ... 

"     12 

2  THE   CONNECTICUT   AGRICULTURAL 

Notice  as  to  Supply  of  Station  Reports. 

The  Annual  Report  of  this  Station  for  the  current  year,  to  be 
printed  at  State  expense,  is  limited  to  an  edition  of  7,000  copies, 
of  which  5,000  copies  are  bound  and  distributed  by  the  Secretary 
of  the  Board  of  Agriculture,  T.  S.  Gold,  West  Cornwall.  After 
exchanging  with  other  Experiment  Stations  and  Agricultural 
Journals,  the  remaining  Reports  will  be  sent  first  to  Citizens  of 
Connecticut  who  shall  apply  for  them.  These  copies  will  be 
supplied  in  the  order  in  which  the  applications  are  received  until 
the  edition  is  exhausted,  and  if  the  demand  in  the  State  continues 
as  heretofore,  few  or  none  will  remain  for  distribution  outside 
of  Connecticut. 

Extra  copies  can,  however,  be  secured  if  called  for  before  the 
printing-forms  are  broken  up.  Such  copies  will  be  struck  off 
and  supplied  early  next  year  to  Citizens  of  other  States  who  ap- 
ply to  this  Station  before  February  1st,  and  loho  remit  25  cents 
per  copy  to  defray  costs.  This  remittance  will  also  secure  to  the 
sender  a  copy  of  each  Bulletin  issued  by  this  Station  during  next 
year. 

Coin  may  be  forwarded  by  Post  at  sender's  risk  with  very 
small  chance  of  loss,  if  properly  mailed,  as  follows  :  Cut  an  inch 
hole  in  a  card  or  scrap  of  thin  paper-box  that  will  just  fit 
inside  an  envelope,  fasten  a  twenty-five  cent  piece  in  the  cav- 
ity by  pasting  paper  over  it  on  both  sides  of  the  card,  write 
thereon  name  and  Post  office  address,  inclose  within  an  envelope, 
and  send  as  a  letter  prepaid  in  full.  P.  O.  stamps  cannot  be  ac- 
cepted. 

The  Sampling  of  Canada  Ashes. 

A  quantitative  analysis  of  ashes,  as  of  anything  else,  is  an  ex- 
pensive operation,  and  when  it  is  made  at  public  expense  and  in 
the  general  interest,  rather  than  for  an  individual  at  his  own  ex- 
pense, the  one  who  is  reponsible  for  the  sample  should  be  all  the 
more  careful  that  his  part  of  the  work  is  very  accurately  done. 
Accurate  sampling  is  just  as  important  as  accurate  analysis  and 
is  often  harder  to  secure. 

If  an  analysis  of  a  shipment  of  Canada  ashes  is  desired  the 
sample  must  be  drawn  immediately  on  receipt  of  the  goods  and 
sent  to  the  Station  at  once. 


EXPERIMENT   STATION.  3 

It  is  not  easy  to  get  a  perfectly  fair  sample  of  a  car  load  of 
ashes  as  it  is  unloaded  or  as  it  lies  in  a  pile  after  unloading.  But 
it  is  much  less  easy  to  get  a  fair  sample  after  the  ashes 
have  lain  for  any  time  on  damp  earth  or  have  been  rained  upon, 
or  have  been  for  any  considerable  time  where  they  could  either 
dry  out  or  absorb  water  from  the  air.  After  being  rained  upon 
the  sample  taken  may  be  very  much  richer  or  very  much  poorer 
in  patash  than  the  whole  lot  from  which  it  was  drawn  and  whose 
character  it  is  designed  to  represent.  For  under  a  heavy  rain 
the  ashes  near  the  surface  of  the  heap  are  leached,  the  rain  dis- 
solving the  potash  and  carrying  it  down  into  the  pile.  But  after 
a  few  days  of  dry  weather  the  water  as  it  comes  to  the  sui-face  of 
the  pile  and  evaporates  may  bring  with  it  to  the  surface  not  only 
what  potash  was  carried  down  by  the  rain  but  also  much  more 
from  within  the  pile.  So  that  the  interior  of  the  heap  is  partly 
leached  and  the  outside  is  abnormally  rich  in  potash. 

If  the  ashes  are  in  bulk  in  the  car,  tight  barrels  should  be  pro- 
vided and  as  the  ashes  are  shoveled  into  wagons  a  shovel  full 
should  occasionally  and  at  fairly  regular  intervals,  be  thrown 
into  a  barrel.  Five  hundred  pounds  is  not  too  large  a  sample  to 
take  from  a  car  load.  When  the  car  is  otherwise  empty  this 
sample  should  be  poured  together  on  the  floor,  thoroughly  shov- 
eled over  and  then  from  half  a  peck  to  a  peck  should  be  gathered 
in  small  portions  from  all  parts  of  this  sample  lot,  securely  boxed 
and  sent  at  once  to  this  Station. 

If  the  ashes  are  in  sacks  or  barrels  the  same  method  of  sampling 
may  be  followed  as  with  commercial  fertilizers.  The  contents  of 
barrels  may  be  sampled  as  the  barrels  are  emptied  in  the  field  or 
barn,  but  if  in  sacks  the  ashes  should  be  sampled  at  the  car. 

Ai^ALTSEs  OF  Canada  Ashes. 

Here  follow  all  the  analyses  of  Canada  ashes  thus  far  made 
during  the  year.  The  first  two  analyses,  Nos.  3361  and  3379, 
were  made  on  samples  drawn  by  a  Station  agent  experienced 
in  the  work.  The  other  saiiiples  were  drawn  by  dealers  or 
consumers.  As  the  following  data  show,  some  of  them  cer- 
tainly did  not  at  all  represent  the  goods  whose  value  they  were 
intended  to  fix,  but  the  analyses  are  published  to  emjDhasize  the 
need  of  great  care  in  drawing  and  bottling  the  samples  and 
of  sending  us  full  particulars  regarding  them. 


4 


THE    CONNECTICUT   AGRICULTURAL 


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EXPERIMENT   STATION.  5 

No.  3361,  sampled  by  a  Station  agent,  was  guaranteed  to  con- 
tain 5h:  \:>er  cent,  potash  and  1-|  per  cent,  phosphoric  acid.  When 
the  dealer  was  informed  of  the  result  of  the  analysis  he  promptly 
remitted  to  the  purchaser  a  sum  sufficient  to  fully  cover  the  dis- 
crepancy between  the  guaranteed  and  actual  composition.  Sub- 
sequent investigation  by  the  dealer  convinced  him  that  the  poor 
quality  of  the  ashes  was  due  to  their  being  put  in  hired  stoi-age, 
before  shipment,  which  storage  did  not  fully  protect  them  from 
wetting. 

The  two  samples,  3362  and  3378,'  are  instructive,  as  it  is 
alleged  that  both  were  taken  from  the  same  lot.  No.  3362  was 
sent  with  a  letter  from  which  it  was  fairly  inferred  that  a  number 
of  purchasers  had  joined  in  a  purchase  and  in  drawing  and  sending 
the  samples.  After  the  analysis  was  reported  and  inquiry  made 
the  purchaser  wrote,  "It  was  drawn  by  the  dealer  and  some  other 
gentlemen  who  assured  me  that  is  was  a  fair  sample  of  the  cargo 
[boat  load].  I  did  not  see  the  drawing.  I  have  ten  tons  of  the 
same  ashes  and  will  very  carefully  take  a  sample." 

Regarding  the  second  sample,  3378,  he  writes,  "I  send  you  a 
carefully  drawn  sample  of  those  ashes.  I  got  it  by  digging  three 
holes  in  different  sides  of  the  pile  not  too  near  the  bottom  and 
taking  out  of  each  and  mixing  thoroughly  together."  The  second 
sample  was  taken  sometime  after  the  first  one.  In  the  meantime 
the  ashes  had  lain  in  a  pile  on  the  ground  but  the  purchaser 
thinks  had  not  been  rained  on. 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  first  sample  drawn  by  the  dealer  con- 
tained 11.14  per  cent,  of  water-soluble  potash.  The  second  sam- 
ple, drawn  by  the  purchaser,  contained  5,01  per  cent,  of  potash, 
less  than  half  as  much. 

The  purchaser  of  the  sample  3360,  wrote  when  sending  it, 
"The  car  load  was  jjurchased  by  me  from  Canada,  price  $12.00 
per  ton  delivered  here.  I  think  them  very  fine  if  they  show  up  as 
well  as  they  look."  Later,  after  the  analysis  was  made,  he  wrote 
replying  to  inquiry  :  "  I  had  ordered  a  car  of  ashes  from  Canada 
and  requested  the  dealer  to  send  me  a  sample  of  tliem  by  mail 
when  loaded.  I  used  what  I  wished  to  "  (of  the  sample)  "  then 
sent  them  to  you.  On  receiving  your  report  I  wrote  to  the  seller 
who  states  that  he  was  not  there  when  the  car  was  loaded  and  he 
thinks  his  man  sent  me  that  samjyle  from  another  lot  of  ashes 
made  entirely  from  elm  wood  !" 

It  should  not  need  to  be  said  that  a  sample  drawn  at  random 


b  THE    CONNECTICUT   AGRICULTURAL 

by  the  hired  man  of  a  dealer  in  Canada  has  little  worth  in  fixing 
the  value  of  a  car  load  of  ashes  delivered  here  in  Connecticut. 

When  the  car  load  arrived  the  purchaser  drew  a  sample  him- 
self and  sent  it  to  the  Station  properly  authenticated.  This  is 
No.  3368  in  the  table.  The  sample  drawn  in  Canada  by  the 
dealer's  "man"  showed  14.49  per  cent,  of  potash,  the  one  drawn 
from  the  goods  delivered  showed  4.10  per  cent. — less  than  one- 
third  as  miich. 

Samples  3367  and  3384,  representing  a  lot  originally  consist- 
ing of  15t^-  tons,  Avere  sent  from  Darien,  Ct.  The  analysis  of 
3367  was  so  unsatisfactory  to  the  seller  living  in  Ontario,  Can- 
ada— he  having  guaranteed  5  per  cent,  or  over  of  potash — that 
he  desired  another  analysis  from  a  fresh  sample.  This  is  stated 
to  have  been  drawn  from  the  remaining  ashes  in  the  manner  re- 
quested by  him,  from  the  center  of  the  parcel.  A  noticeable  dif- 
ference between  the  two  samples  is  the  8.4  per  cent,  less  moisture 
contained  in  the  latter.  3367  was  sent  to  the  Station,  Sept.  10th, 
and  3384  Oct.  16th,  Both  were  sent  in  small  paper  boxes  and 
loss  or  gain  of  moisture  may  have  easily  occurred. 

When  the  analyses  are  recalculated,  after  deducting  the  varia- 
ble moisture,  we  have  in  the  dry  ashes  the  following  percentages  : 

3S67.  3384. 

Potash,  soluble  in  water 3.54  4.03 

Phosphoric  acid  - 1.18  1.55 

Carbonate  of  lime 73.98  77.66 

Sand  and  silica 9.06  10.34 

A  more  complete  analysis  of  3384  serves  to  show  the  amounts 
of  the  other  ingredients  in  these  ashes. 

Potash,  soluble  in  water 4.00 

Soda,           "               "      .-- .50 

Lime,  soluble  in  hydrochloric  acid 1.  42.74 

Magnesia      "                  "              "     4.03 

Sulphuric  acid,  soluble  in  hydrochloric  acid .82 

Phosphoric  acid,           "              "               " 1-53 

Carbonic  acid 24  49 

Sand  and  silica,  insoluble  in  acid 10.17 

Charcoal 2.09 

Moisture 1-73 

Alumina,  oxides  of  iron,   and  manganese,  and  undetermined 

matters  of  no  fertilizing  value 7.90 

100.00 


EXPEEIMENT   STATION.  7 

In  view  of  the  experience  of  the  past  season,  the  Station  de- 
clines to  analyze,  at  public  expense,  any  samples  of  wood  or 
cotton  hull  ashes  which  are  not  drawn  in  accordance  with  its 
directions  and  f%dly  described  on  a  blank  form  which  will  be 
sent  to  any  one  in  the  State  on  ajDplication. 

Substitutes  foe  Unleached  Ashes. 

Very  considerable  quantities  of  ashes  are  annually  brought 
into  the  State  from  Canada.  There  is  no  way  of  learning  the 
total  quantity,  but  we  are  informed  that  in  Westport,  Southport 
and  near-lying  towns  alone  about  800  tons  have  been  sold  the 
last  season.  In  view  of  the  fact  that  the  quality  of  the  "  Canada 
ashes "  sold  in  Connecticut  has  deteriorated  of  late  it  is  worth 
considering  whether  a  substitute  as  serviceable  and  considerably 
cheaper  may  not  be  found.  A  ton  of  unleached  Canada  ashes  of 
good  quality  contains: 

Sand,  earth  and  coal 260  pounds. 

Water 240 

Oxide  of  iron,  alumina,  carbonate  of  soda,  etc 131 

Actual  potash 110 

Phosphoric  acid 39 

Carbonate  with  some  hydrate  of  lime  and  magnesia  1220 


2000 


The  agricultural  value  of  ashes  consists  largely  in  the  finely 
divided  carbonate  of  lime  which  they  contain,  which  is  of  great 
account  in  many  cases  as  an  amendment  and  in  promoting  the 
processes  of  decay  and  nitrification  within  the  soil. 

It  is  safe  to  say  that  the  carbonates  and  phosphates  of  potash, 
magnesia  and  lime  constitute  the  entire  agricultural  value  of 
ashes.  Can  we  then  provide  110  pounds  of  potash,  39  of  phos- 
phoric acid  and  1220  of  carbonate  of  lime  in  fine  condition  in 
some  other  form  cheaper  than  ashes? 

An  application  in  the  late  fall  of  20  bushels  of  burned  oyster 
shell  lime  (40  pounds  to  the  bushel),  at  12  cents  per  bushel  would 
supply  as  much  lime  as  a  ton  of  ashes  at  a  cost  $2.40,  500  pounds 
of  cotton  hull  ashes  in  addition  would  cost  IS.YS  and  supply  as 
much  or  more  potash  than  a  ton  of  Canada  ashes  and  very  con- 
siderably more  phosphoric  acid.  The  weight  of  these  two  things 
would  be  1300  pounds  as  against  2000  pounds  of  Canada  ashes 


8  THE    CONNECTICUT   AGRICULTURAL 

which  involves  a  saving  in  cartage — the  cost  $11.15,  a  little  less 
than  Canada  ashes  cost  on  the  average. 

The  comparison  is  here  made  with  ashes  of  excellent  quality. 
With  ashes  of  lower  grade  which  are  more  common  in  our  mar- 
kets to-day,  the  showing  for  the  substitute  Avould  be  much  more 
favorable. 

Or  if  cotton  hull  ashes  are  not  available,  for  them  may  be  used 
220  pounds  of  high  grade  sulphate  of  potash  and  150  pounds  of 
some  cheap  steamed  bone  like  Peter  Cooper's  Bone,  and  800 
pounds  of  oyster  shell  lime,  the  three  costing  $11.10. 

The  above  named  mixtures  would  be  close  imitations  of  super- 
ior wood  ashes  not  only  as  respects  the  kinds  and  proi:)ortions  of 
fertilizing  elements,  but  also  as  to  the  forms  or  combinations 
of  those  elements.  Still  cheaper  and  in  most  cases  probably  no 
less  eifective,  would  be  a  mixtui-e  of  800  pounds  (20  bushels)  of 
burned  oyster  shell  lime  with  150  pounds  of  Peter  Cooper's  Bone 
and  220  pounds  of  muriate  of  potash — the  total  weighing  1170 
pounds  and  costing  $9.45. 

The  oyster  shell  lime  being  caustic  should  be  put  on  in  the 
late  fall  or  early  spring  and  being  fine  and  pulverulent  it  will 
soon  be  converted  into  carbonate. 

Stone  lime  could  be  used  instead  of  oyster  shell  lime  but  being 
in  hard  lumps  would  require  slacking  before  being  sown.  The 
sulphate  or  muj-iate  of  potash  and  bone  are  best  applied  in 
spring. 

It  is  hoped  that  our  farmers  may  make  thorough  trial  of 
these  substitutes  which  are  considerably  cheaper  than  the  aver- 
age of  Canada  ashes,  quality  as  well  as  price  being  taken 
account  of. 

A  Request  for  Samples  of  Indiaist  Coeist. 

The  attention  of  raisers  of  Indian  corn  is  specially  called  to 
the  following,  which  has  already  been  sent  as  a  circular  to  the 
secretaries  of  all  Connecticut  granges  and  other  farmer's  socie- 
ties. 

It  is  said  that  a  larger  number  of  old,  well  established  varie- 
ties of  Indian  corn  are  grown  in  Connecticut  than  in  any  other 
State  in  the  Union. 

Some  of  these  have  been  raised  in  one  place  for  more  than  a 
century,  and  during  that  time  have  been  strikingly  improved  by 
selection. 


EXPERIMENT   STATION.  9 

It  is  very  desirable  that  specimens  of  these  varieties  should  be 
collected,  with  all  available  information  regai'ding  their  names, 
origin,  history,  improvement  under  selection,  and  actual  yield 
per  acre.  This  is  especially  so  in  view  of  the  Columbian  Expo- 
sition at  Chicago  in  1893,  where  there  should  be  a  fair  exhibit 
of  the  leading  agricultural  products  of  this  State.  It  is  also  im- 
portant that  a  full  set  of  samples  be  kept  in  the  State  for  the 
instruction  of  our  citizens. 

The  collection  should  be  begun  at  once,  as  it  cannot  well  be 
made  complete  in  one  season.  This  Station,  therefore,  asks  the 
co-operation  of  farmers  in  an  attempt  to  prepare  an  exhibit  of 
Indian  corn  which  shall  do  credit  to  the  State.  To  this  end  the 
Director  invites  Granges,  Farmers'  Clubs  and  Farmers  to  fur- 
nish this  Station  samples  of  corn  selected  from  this  year's  crop, 
of  those  varieties  which  have  been  raised  in  Connecticut  for  a 
term  of  years,  and  of  new  kinds  which  are  considered  valuable. 

Ten  ears  of  field-cured  corn  (with  the  husk  attached  if  possi- 
ble), should  be  selected  which  fairly  represent  the  average 
quality  of  the  variety.  Besides,  four  ears  of  extra  size  of  each 
variety  are  desirable. 

Each  ear  should  be  sej^arately  wrapped  in  plenty  of  dry  paper, 
and  the  whole,  tied  firmly  together,  should  be  packed  with  straw 
in  a  box;  or,  if  that  cannot  be  done,  should  be  so  carefully  done 
up  in  cotton  and  stout  paper  that  the  ears  cannot  be  in  any  way 
injured  in  transportation.  The  samples  may  then  be  sent  by 
express  to  the  Connecticut  Agricultural  Experiment  Station, 
New  Haven.  In  all  cases  the  shipper's  name  should  be  enclosed 
in  or  marked  on  the  package.  If  several  varieties  are  sent 
together,  each  variety  should  be  separately  labeled  with  its 
name.     The  Station  will  pay  the  express  charges. 

At  the  time  of  forwarding  the  samples,  fill  out  and  return 
answers  to  the  following  questions  respecting  each  variety. 


10  THE    CONNECTICUT   AGRICULTURAL 

1.  Name  most  commonly  used  and  all  other  names  which  are 
sometimes  applied. 

2.  How  long  raised  by  you  or  in  your  town. 

S.  Where  the  seed  was  first  obtained. 

4.  Whether  it  has  changed  its  habit  of  growth,  and  how. 


5.  Number  of  rows  to  ear,         ;  of  ears  to  stalk, 

6.  Time  of  planting,  ;  of  ripening, 

7.  Average  and  maximum  height  of  stalks. 


8.  Average  yield  of  shelled  corn  and  of  stalks  or  stover,  under 
ordinary  conditions. 


9.  Yield  under  very  favorable  conditions.      State   year   and 
specify  the  conditions. 


EXPERIMENT   STATION.  11 

10.  Planted  in  hill  or  drill.     Number  of  stalks  in  hill.     Dis- 
tance between  hills  and  rows,  or  between  plants  and  rows  in  drill. 


11.  How  manured  and  cultivated. 


12.  Any  other  data  regarding  the  sample  which  the   sender 
thinks  important. 


13.  Name  and  Post  office  address  of  the  sender. 


12         THE    CONN".    AGRICULTURAL    EXPERIMENT   STATION. 

The  Station  will  receive  and  store  the  samples,  will  keep  withi 
each  the  sender's  name  and  address,  and  all  data  regarding  the 
sample,  will  make  such  Chemical  Examinations  as  may  seem 
desirable,  and  will  endeavor  to  have  all  the  samples  propex'ly 
exhibited  at  the  Columbian  Exposition  as  well  as  permanently 
preserved  in  the  Station  Ihiseum. 

In  order  that  the  sending  of  many  dujDlicate  samples  may  be 
avoided,  it  is  asked  that  those  having  corn  suitable  for  the 
exhibit  will  notify  the  Station  at  once,  naming  the  varieties 
which  they  are  prepared  to  furnish.  The  Station  will  then  write 
in  replj^,  advising  whether  to  send  or  stating  that  the  kind  is 
already  sufficiently  represented  among  the  samples  received  or 
promised. 

Copies  of  the  foregoing  questions  with  blanks  for  answers  will 
be  furnished  on  application. 

Correction.— In  Bulletin  109,  page  40,  the  cost  of  the  two  mix- 
tures made  by  E.  J.  Wells,  Nos.  3281  and  3282,  are  given  as  139.60 
and  $38.73  respectively.  These  figures  were  reckoned  from  the 
avei'age  retail  cash  prices  of  the  ingredients  to  which  was  added 
1 1.50  per  ton  for  freight.  We  have  recently  been  informed  that 
the  actual  prices  paid  by  Mr.  Wells  for  the  materials  of  the  two 
formulas  were  ^34. 50  and  $31.50  per  ton  delivered. 

U^^  Citizens  desiring  the  Bulletins  of  this  Station  should  re- 
new their  applications  before  March. 

S.  W.  JOHNSON,  Director. 


University  of 
Connecticut 

Libraries 


39153029145150 


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ij-^.-.-hJ.:.;  ■.  •■■it  '  r-:-.    ■ 


